back to article Exposed: Voyeurism and surveillance

Surveillance is everywhere today, and thanks to Facebook and Google, we are all now voyeurs, monitoring each other electronically. Perfect timing, you would think, for the new exhibition at Tate Modern Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera which sets out to explore our relationship with the camera and its use to …

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  1. Sekundra
    Black Helicopters

    Caught by surprise

    I didn't expect to see a review of this, and still hope to go and see the exhibition - thanks Bob for writing about this :)

  2. jake Silver badge

    Whatever.

    Some of us are in charge of our own emotions, and have no need to live vicariously through others. We call ourselves "human", not "sheep".

    1. Sir Runcible Spoon
      FAIL

      Sir

      If you claim to be in charge of your emotions, then I disagree that you are human. You sound more like a robot, but I expect you are human, just repressed - by yourself no doubt.

      We all are to some degree or other, but I mustard mitt I wouldn't have been so bold as to announce to the world that I'm a wannabe Vulcan.

      Live lond and prosper.

      1. jake Silver badge

        Wannabe Vulcan?

        Don't be daft. Vulcan was made up by the Romans, or Hollywood (depending which one you are referring to ... I'm guessing the later in this context. Besides the Roman version had a hell of a temper ... ).

        I am human. I have emotions. Real ones. But I don't allow them to control my actions. And I have enough of them that I don't need other people to supply me with more. It's called "living life to it's fullest", as opposed to living vicariously thru' others.

        Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate fine art (the wife & I support various museums and what have you here in the Bay Area) ... but the subject of this particular article is hardly fine art, any more than that hack(ed) Warhol was a genius. This is just titillation for titillation's sake.

        Agree with me, or disagree with me, I calls 'em as I sees 'em regardless.

        1. Sir Runcible Spoon
          Badgers

          Sir

          Living life to it's fullest....I suppose you could sitting on yer arse reading the Register that, hadn't really looked at it that way before, thanks :)

          1. jake Silver badge

            @Sir Runcible Spoon

            "Living life to it's fullest....I suppose you could sitting on yer arse reading the Register that, hadn't really looked at it that way before, thanks :)"

            If you look at my posts, you'll see that I'm all over the map WRT time. I read ElReg when I'm in the office, waiting on the Vet, the Farrier, a new client, a supplier, spelling the Foreman walking a colicky horse, and whathaveyou. The Brit sense of humo(u)r here coupled with tech news tickles my funny bone. Sometimes I respond. Sometimes I don't. Despite my pseudo-retired state, I like to keep up with the techie world (I still contract out my computer/network services occasionally ... Helps pay for new tractors, water trucks, and the Hanoverian "For Pleasure" daughter that my Wife just bought ...).

            Am I a prolific poster? Yes. Is it an important part of my life? Hardly.

            And the name's jake, not Sir. I don't have time to put on airs ...

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  3. heyrick Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    Great article. Thank you.

    Out of interest, were any "oops, its the Googlemobile!" pictures present? It is an interesting thing to argue. Those caught doing something foolish will say it is gross invasion of privacy, but is it? Isn't privacy and surveillance the taking of invasive pictures of an individual, as opposed to a snapshot of pretty much everything as it just happens to drive by? I liken Google to a massive version of the "A Day in the Life" project (remember those books?). I know many will disagree as it is easy to say Google is being invasive, what with their WiFi scanning and such, bu it is certainly food for thought.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    Surveillance

    Don't forget thaty surveillance will be going on in the exhibition itself. Tate Modern's own secutiry cameras. A bit ironic.

    1. Mike Moyle

      My thought, exactly...

      In fact, I was rather hoping that the last exhibit would turn out to be the video from the surveillance cams on, say, a half-hour (or whatever) delay so that the exhibit-goers could watch themselves going through the whole thing. There would have been a lovely bit of bringing the concept home, there.

      Oh, well... Perhaps a bit too "meta-"-...

  5. Otto von Humpenstumpf
    Thumb Up

    Fantastic!

    Please, more articles of this type - in fact, a "Arts and Culture" section would be great, to balance the geekiness of El Reg.

  6. Nick Pettefar

    Good Article

    I enjoyed reading this article.

    I have a permanent webcam set-up in my dining room and we have become used to being permanently on-show to whoever might be watching. I have no idea why it is but it just is. It is just another window in the house I guess. Odd.

    1. John H Woods Silver badge
      Happy

      post the...

      ... url

  7. fortheloveofgod
    Paris Hilton

    No app for brain plugin

    As long as Google can't index my brain then all is well on Planet Earth!

    Paris: She can index my brain anytime.

  8. Hud Dunlap
    Thumb Up

    what about the paparrazi

    Like the googlmobile this is also a major invasion of privacy. Photographing celibrities children in their own yard is something that should have been addressed.

  9. BlueGreen

    This is art?

    Nice pander to the dilettante voyeur; nothing too upsetting, just a little tingle to go home happy with.

    Check out the subscriber-only pics at bmezine_com for answers on what limits a person will choose to take their body to (none, really), or the reality of what we, thank god, don't have to deal with at rotten_com, or a reminder of what man can do to man at withoutsanctuary_org.

    (Replaced dots with underscores so no one can accidentally visit them. Warning: NSFW or your peace of mind. I mean it. But at least it's not sweet pink slop on a flowery plate).

    & bullseye from jake

  10. Doug Glass
    Go

    Must Be A Slow IT News Day

    Sorry Gloog......Only a caveman would never believe this would be reality.

  11. Maty
    Happy

    This article ...

    ...was worth reading just for the link to the SCUM manifesto.

    Ms Solanas reads like the Moderatrix having a bad Monday.

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